Say what?! Hipster dads insist on being called 'papa'

Next in the series of ‘Things hipster dads do’: Insist their children call them 'papa’

According to the Daily Beast, the newest trend sweeping Brooklyn is that young dads - specifically the white/upper-middle class/bearded/tattooed type - have taken a shine to the sobriquet of 'papa' as opposed to 'dad', teaching their Petite Bateau-clad, artisanal-babychino-sipping toddlers to call them as such. This comes following of reports of "cool, modern mothers", instructing their children to refer to them as 'mama'.

The Daily Beast quotes a Brooklyn mum who explains that the traditional terms of 'mom' or 'mommy' "conjure something insipid and suburban", a possible explanation as to why hip, progressive parents are desperately forging ahead for an identity that feels more fitting. Alongside some form of late-onset teenage rebellion.

The use of 'papa' peaked around 1870 which, if you look closely, is right about where most hipster men's facial inspiration and penchant for suspenders and work boots comes from.

The Daily Beast quotes one young father in particular, a 34-year olf professional father to a toddler who refers to himself as "papa bear", explaining that being called "dad" feels very "bland and drab". He explains, "“There’s no excitement to it, and I feel like the word papa nowadays has so many meanings. We live in an age when fathers are more in touch with their feminine sides and are all right with playing dress-up and putting on makeup with their daughters.”

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